Latest news with #JasonSchwartz
Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
CDC removes language that says healthy kids and pregnant women should get COVID shots
'The announcement from earlier this week sounded like CDC was going to fully withdraw any statement that could be construed as a recommendation for these vaccines in these populations,' said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher. 'It's not as bad as it could have been.' Advertisement Kennedy announced the coming changes in a On Thursday, the CDC updated its website. The agency said that shots may be given to children ages 6 months to 17 years who do not have moderate or severe problems with their immune systems. Instead of recommending the shots, the CDC now says parents may decide to get their children vaccinated in consultation with a doctor. A subtle update to a CDC page on the adult immunization schedule indicated a similar change for the recommendation for pregnant women, excluding them from the routine recommendation made for other adults. Advertisement 'The old COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children under 18 and for pregnant women have been removed from the CDC vaccine schedule,' a HHS spokesperson said in a statement. 'The CDC and HHS encourage individuals to talk with their healthcare provider about any personal medical decision.' That kind of recommendation, known as shared decision-making, still means health insurers must pay for the vaccinations, Childhood vaccination rates for COVID-19 are already low — just 13% of children and 23% of adults have received the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, Talk of changing the recommendations has been brewing. As the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, experts have discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most as risk for death and hospitalization. A CDC advisory panel is set to meet in June to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among its options are suggesting shots for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice to get vaccinated. A committee work group has endorsed the idea. But Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine advocate before becoming health secretary, decided not to wait for the scientific panel's review. The new vaccine recommendation changes, their timing and the way there were announced have created confusion that can be 'incredibly harmful to the success of vaccination programs,' Schwartz said. 'It would be understandable if the public is completely baffled in terms of what the federal government thinks and what the science suggests ... about the evidence for the safety and value of these vaccines,' he added. Advertisement
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Top Crypto Tax Lawyer Jason Schwartz Joins Cahill's D.C. Office as Partner in CahillNXT Practice
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP announced today that leading crypto tax lawyer Jason Schwartz has joined the firm as a partner in CahillNXT, the firm's globally recognized Digital Assets and Emerging Technology practice. Jason is the best crypto tax lawyer in the market, and his experience perfectly complements our existing strengths and further establishes CahillNXT as the foremost digital assets advisor. Share Jason, who was previously the co-head of the Digital Assets and Blockchain Practice at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, is a preeminent authority on tax issues relating to digital assets, financial products, securitizations, funds, and cross-border lending. 'We are thrilled with the continued expansion of CahillNXT,' said Herb Washer, Chair of Cahill's Executive Committee. 'Jason is yet another important piece in this puzzle as we strive to cement Cahill's place as the premier destination for traditional financial institutions and emerging crypto native and FinTech companies in this dynamic sector. With his invaluable experience dealing with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Jason lends depth and breadth to our emerging presence in D.C. as well.' Jason is widely considered one of the most esteemed tax lawyers in the digital assets space, and has earned recognition from both Chambers USA and Legal 500 US for his exceptional legal counsel. A prolific thought leader, he has authored numerous articles, including the seminal article on the taxation of decentralized finance, and is a sought-after speaker on tax and digital assets matters. 'We're delighted to welcome Jason to Cahill,' said Samson A. Enzer, founder and Co-Chair of CahillNXT. 'With Jason's addition, we now have cutting-edge expertise to help our clients navigate the most challenging and important legal issues facing the full range of market participants in the booming crypto economy, including litigation, government enforcement defense, product counseling, capital formation and token launches, tokenization, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, EU MiCA compliance, and now crypto tax advice. Jason is the best crypto tax lawyer in the market, and his experience perfectly complements our existing strengths and further establishes CahillNXT as the foremost digital assets advisor.' Lewis R. Cohen, Co-Chair of CahillNXT, added, 'Jason is the leading authority in the crypto tax space. No one knows this world like him, which is why we are so thrilled to have him join Cahill. His exceptional grasp of digital asset taxation has made him the advisor of choice for the most sophisticated market participants, and we look forward to leveraging his expertise and insights at this critical time for the industry.' Jason maintains a deep commitment to pro bono work, overseeing the innovative 501Foundry program, which provides comprehensive legal assistance to help nonprofit organizations incorporate and secure tax-exempt status. Through this initiative, he has helped hundreds of charitable organizations establish solid legal foundations, enabling them to focus on their missions rather than navigating complex regulatory requirements. 'The future is on chain, and CahillNXT is the first call for anyone seeking top-tier counsel on digital assets-related matters,' said Jason. 'I am thrilled to join forces with this elite group at a pivotal time for the industry." Jason received his J.D., magna cum laude, from American University, Washington College of Law, and his LL.M. and B.A., cum laude, from New York University. About Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP Cahill is among the most successful law firms in the world. With a history of legal innovation dating back to the firm's founding in 1919, Cahill is trusted by market-leading financial institutions, companies, and their boards to manage significant corporate transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. Based in New York, Cahill also has offices in London, Washington, D.C., and Delaware.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Key vaccine committee meets for the first time under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
ATLANTA (AP) — A key vaccine advisory committee met for the first time under new U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. Tuesday's meeting was, to some extent, business as usual, though with a major question looming: Who would evaluate the committee's recommendations? The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' two-day meeting took up vaccine policy questions that had been put on hold when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed the panel's February meeting. 'It will be striking' if the meeting is routine, given 'signals and alarms' that suggest changes and perhaps reductions in federal vaccination efforts, said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher who studies government health agencies. But Tuesday's meeting started fairly routine, with most members joining through a webcast. They discussed an mpox vaccine and how the winter flu and COVID-19 seasons were going. CDC official asks about COVID-19 vaccines The conversation took a turn when a CDC official summarized a committee workgroup discussion about the waning COVID-19 pandemic, and asked whether the panel might consider changing vaccination recommendations. For example, instead of recommending seasonal shots for all Americans 6 months and older, should the recommendations be more focused — at least for certain age groups — on people with chronic illnesses or otherwise at higher risk? 'I guess I am surprised we're considering a risk-based recommendation," said committee member Dr. Denise Jamieson, dean of the University of Iowa's medical school. She worried it will be harder to implement, and may cause more headaches for patients who want to get shots and have them covered by insurance. Dr. Jamie Loehr, a family medicine doctor in Itasca, New York, said he is in favor of a risk-based recommendation but also worried about feasibility and the message it would send. 'COVID is still a fairly dangerous disease and very very common,' he said. "We are not talking about 10 cases of mpox. We are talking about thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.' A vote on the idea could come at the next committee meeting, scheduled for June. Who will take up the committee's recommendations? The 15-member panel of outside scientific experts, created in 1964, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC directors almost always approve those recommendations on how Food and Drug Administration-cleared vaccines should be used. The CDC's final recommendations are not binding, but for decades they have been widely heeded by doctors and determine the scope and funding of vaccination programs. The committee was slated to vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to make new recommendations regarding three kinds of vaccines, including one for meningitis and another to prevent a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. It's not clear who would decide whether to accept those recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, Monarez has essentially recused herself from regular director duties because of federal law around vacancies, said two CDC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday seems likely to fall to Kennedy. When an AP reporter asked an HHS spokesperson, he said he was looking into the question but did not immediately have an answer. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy told lawmakers he is not 'antivaccine.' But since taking office, he has promised to 'investigate' children's shots and to take a new look at the possibility of links between childhood vaccinations and autism — a theory that has been debunked by a number of studies, including at least a dozen that involved CDC researchers. The panel's chair, Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University, said she didn't know who would decide whether to sign off on any recommendations. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Key vaccine committee meets for the first time under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
'It will be striking' if the meeting is routine, given 'signals and alarms' that suggest changes and perhaps reductions in federal vaccination efforts, said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher who studies government health agencies. But Tuesday's meeting started fairly routine, with most members joining through a webcast. They discussed an mpox vaccine and how the winter flu and COVID-19 seasons were going. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up CDC official asks about COVID-19 vaccines Advertisement The conversation took a turn when a CDC official summarized a committee workgroup discussion about the waning COVID-19 pandemic, and asked whether the panel might consider changing vaccination recommendations. For example, instead of recommending seasonal shots for all Americans 6 months and older, should the recommendations be more focused — at least for certain age groups — on people with chronic illnesses or otherwise at higher risk? 'I guess I am surprised we're considering a risk-based recommendation,' said committee member Dr. Denise Jamieson, dean of the University of Iowa's medical school. She worried it will be harder to implement, and may cause more headaches for patients who want to get shots and have them covered by insurance. Advertisement Dr. Jamie Loehr, a family medicine doctor in Itasca, New York, said he is in favor of a risk-based recommendation but also worried about feasibility and the message it would send. 'COVID is still a fairly dangerous disease and very very common,' he said. 'We are not talking about 10 cases of mpox. We are talking about thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.' A vote on the idea could come at the next committee meeting, scheduled for June. Who will take up the committee's recommendations? The 15-member panel of outside scientific experts, created in 1964, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC directors almost always approve those recommendations on how Food and Drug Administration-cleared vaccines should be used. The CDC's final recommendations are not binding, but for decades they have been widely heeded by doctors and determine the scope and funding of vaccination programs. The committee was slated to vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to make new recommendations regarding three kinds of vaccines, including one for meningitis and another to prevent a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. It's not clear who would decide whether to accept those recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, Monarez has essentially recused herself from regular director duties because of federal law around vacancies, said two CDC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday seems likely to fall to Kennedy. When an AP reporter asked an HHS spokesperson, he said he was looking into the question but did not immediately have an answer. Advertisement During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy told lawmakers he is not 'antivaccine.' But since taking office, he has promised to 'investigate' children's shots and to take a new look at the possibility of links between childhood vaccinations and autism — a theory that has been debunked by a number of studies, including at least a dozen that involved CDC researchers. The panel's chair, Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University, said she didn't know who would decide whether to sign off on any recommendations. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Associated Press
15-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Key vaccine committee meets for the first time under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
ATLANTA (AP) — A key vaccine advisory committee met for the first time under new U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. Tuesday's meeting was, to some extent, business as usual, though with a major question looming: Who would evaluate the committee's recommendations? The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' two-day meeting took up vaccine policy questions that had been put on hold when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed the panel's February meeting. 'It will be striking' if the meeting is routine, given 'signals and alarms' that suggest changes and perhaps reductions in federal vaccination efforts, said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher who studies government health agencies. But Tuesday's meeting started fairly routine, with most members joining through a webcast. They discussed an mpox vaccine and how the winter flu and COVID-19 seasons were going. CDC official asks about COVID-19 vaccines The conversation took a turn when a CDC official summarized a committee workgroup discussion about the waning COVID-19 pandemic, and asked whether the panel might consider changing vaccination recommendations. For example, instead of recommending seasonal shots for all Americans 6 months and older, should the recommendations be more focused — at least for certain age groups — on people with chronic illnesses or otherwise at higher risk? 'I guess I am surprised we're considering a risk-based recommendation,' said committee member Dr. Denise Jamieson, dean of the University of Iowa's medical school. She worried it will be harder to implement, and may cause more headaches for patients who want to get shots and have them covered by insurance. Dr. Jamie Loehr, a family medicine doctor in Itasca, New York, said he is in favor of a risk-based recommendation but also worried about feasibility and the message it would send. 'COVID is still a fairly dangerous disease and very very common,' he said. 'We are not talking about 10 cases of mpox. We are talking about thousands of hospitalizations and deaths.' A vote on the idea could come at the next committee meeting, scheduled for June. Who will take up the committee's recommendations? The 15-member panel of outside scientific experts, created in 1964, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC directors almost always approve those recommendations on how Food and Drug Administration-cleared vaccines should be used. The CDC's final recommendations are not binding, but for decades they have been widely heeded by doctors and determine the scope and funding of vaccination programs. The committee was slated to vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to make new recommendations regarding three kinds of vaccines, including one for meningitis and another to prevent a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya. It's not clear who would decide whether to accept those recommendations. The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she's awaiting Senate confirmation, Monarez has essentially recused herself from regular director duties because of federal law around vacancies, said two CDC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired. That means any committee recommendations made Wednesday seems likely to fall to Kennedy. When an AP reporter asked an HHS spokesperson, he said he was looking into the question but did not immediately have an answer. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy told lawmakers he is not 'antivaccine.' But since taking office, he has promised to 'investigate' children's shots and to take a new look at the possibility of links between childhood vaccinations and autism — a theory that has been debunked by a number of studies, including at least a dozen that involved CDC researchers. The panel's chair, Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University, said she didn't know who would decide whether to sign off on any recommendations. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
